1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to image forming apparatus, and more particularly to image forming apparatus control systems in which image forming apparatus and a control unit are connected to each other through a communication line.
2. Description of the Related Art
Image forming apparatus such as copying machines employing the electrophotographic process, facsimiles and optical printers are widely used as means for forming hard copy images. Such image forming apparatus usually include CPUs (Central Processing Unit) including microprocessors and so forth, in which each portion is controlled according to a control program stored in a memory (usually a ROM) in advance.
Generally, image forming apparatus such as a copying machine forming a hard copy image employing the electrophotographic process, a facsimile and an optical printer have sensors for sensing residual quantities of constable products such as paper and toner provided in the apparatus, and a display for demanding a user for supply of consumable products is made when they are running out.
Thus, a user provides consumable products kept as stocks for supply outside the apparatus into the apparatus to maintain the apparatus in an image formable condition.
Now, conventionally, as shown in Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 59-142559, for example, a control system in which each of copying machines and a control unit (host) are connected to each other through a communication line in order to concentrically control a plurality of copying machines has been known.
Copying machines configuring such a control system have means for storing data corresponding to control items and transmit the data to the host according to commands from the host.
Conventional control items are mainly for grasping operational (use) conditions of copying machines, such as the number of copies for each user and sizes of paper used.
That is, conventional control systems are configured with an object of enabling easy totalization of data for implementing rational use of each copying machine at users having a plurality of copying machines such as official agencies and companies, that is, payment by beneficiaries of maintenance cost and equalization of used amount among users.
Recently, in order to improve after-sale service for image forming apparatus, a service management system is in progress in which a host provided at a service base (service station) on a seller side (maker side) of the image forming apparatus and each of a plurality of image forming apparatus provided on each user side (customer side) are connected to each other in an on-line manner.
In the present specification, the after-sale service means the whole customer service provided from the seller side to the user including maintenance as activities for keeping operational conditions (hereinafter, referred to as "conditions") of image forming apparatus nominal and activities for operational convenience for users such as supply of consumable products such as paper and toner to users and explanation of the methods of using the apparatus.
As described above, a user can know the lack of consumable products inside image forming apparatus. Conventionally, however, a user sometimes overlooks the lack of stocks of the consumable products. That is, in some cases, a user notices the lack of stocks of consumable products just when he is supplying consumable products into the image forming apparatus.
A user who has noticed the lack of stocks makes contact with the service station demanding supply of consumable products. In this case, there is a problem that the image forming apparatus is unusable (machine-down) until the consumable products are supplied.
On the other hand, conventionally, replacement of a control program in an image forming apparatus (hereinafter, referred to as "program conversion") has been implemented as a part of the after-sale service.
The objects of the program conversion include addition of new functions (version-up), adaptation for the installation circumstances, users' convenience in operation and implementation of users' favorite image quality.
In such program conversion, actually, a serviceman takes a memory element storing an existing control program out of an image forming apparatus and loads a memory element storing a new control program instead. That is, a hardware (memory element) is replaced.
There is a problem, however, that memory element conversion takes a long time since a control portion including a memory element (a control circuit board) is usually located in a center portion of a main body of an image forming apparatus. Especially, in the case where program conversion such as version-up is performed for a large number of image forming apparatus provided at respective users, a large amount of labor is required to increase the costs of the after-sale service.
In addition, in memory element replacement, other parts are damaged or bad-influenced in some cases.